Scotland's Railway wins top awards for planning and event coordination

Scotland’s Railway has won two major awards at this year’s Rail Industry Planning Awards. The ceremony, held in Leeds earlier this week, recognised the team’s work in long-term planning and event coordination. Their achievements include boosting performance and managing transport for some of the UK’s biggest events.

The Strategic or Long-Term Planning Team of the Year award went to Scotland’s Railway for improving train services without extra rolling stock or staff. Judges highlighted projects like the East Kilbride electrification, which increased frequencies and reliability. Train planners were praised for creating efficient timetables that benefit both passengers and freight customers.

The team also took home the *Event Plan of the Year* award. This recognised their work in organising transport for Oasis’ concerts and the Edinburgh Festival. Since returning to public ownership, ScotRail has run extra services for nearly 60 per cent more major events. Mark Ilderton, ScotRail’s Service Delivery Director, commended the planners for their resilience and professionalism, especially when dealing with last-minute changes. Ross Moran, Route Director at Network Rail Scotland, stressed the importance of the partnership between ScotRail and Network Rail in keeping services running smoothly. The Special Events team, in particular, plays a key role in coordinating train transport for concerts, festivals, and sports matches.

The awards highlight Scotland’s Railway’s ability to deliver better services while managing large-scale events. Their success comes from strong teamwork between ScotRail and Network Rail. The recognition also reinforces the railway’s commitment to improving travel for passengers and freight customers.